Communications Blog

2/17 Week in Review

February 17, 2018

Parkland School Shooting

On Wednesday, a shooter murdered 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida. In response, Chair Tina Podlodowski released a statement addressing the feeling of helplessness that sets in after school shootings and identifying a path forward.

Rossi Hiding Comments

Dino Rossi does not take criticism well.

On Friday, February 9th, The Stranger Journalist Rich Smith posted a comment on a post on Dino Rossi’s Facebook page asking Rossi to comment on an article (also linked in the Facebook comment) Smith had written -- an article for which Rossi had initially declined to comment.

Rossi hid Smith’s comment. In reply, Smith wrote another article about these events.

A deluge of users then commented on Dino Rossi’s posts, asking why he was hiding and deleting comments. Dino Rossi then hid or deleted all of those comments.

The takeaway: Dino Rossi is running to represent the people of the 8th District. But he really doesn’t care what they have to say, and will pretend they don’t exist if they challenge him.

Field Report

You may recall that in 2004, Dino Rossi lost to Chris Gregoire by 133 votes the first time he ran for governor. Well last Saturday, we had 133 attendees at our #FlipThe8th Organizing Academy in Issaquah, training to beat Dino Rossi yet again.

We were also out knocking on doors and talking with voters last weekend, with canvasses in Auburn, Gig Harbor, Issaquah, Kennewick, Snoqualmie, Spokane, Spokane Valley, Sumner, and Yakima!

Poll: Lisa Brown Closing in on Cathy McMorris Rodgers

The work we’ve been doing for the past year is beginning to pay off. A poll released this week has Democratic challenger Lisa Brown just 4 points behind Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

McMorris Rodgers is the fourth-highest ranking Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives. The closest any Democrat has ever come to unseating her is 12.8 percentage points. And now Lisa Brown is within the margin of error.

The same poll found that the 5th District is now evenly split on whether they approve or disapprove of Donald Trump. The district voted for Trump by a 13.1 point margin in 2016.

We know how much this news means because we’ve been on the ground listening to voters, training volunteers, and building a massive grassroots infrastructure to connect people all around the state with Democratic candidates who want to work for them.

And it’s working.

Thanks to contributions from folks like you, we are pushing the needle harder than ever before. We’re taking on some of the most powerful Republicans in the country -- right here in Washington State -- and we’re gaining on them in ways they never thought possible.

Last Saturday, the Washington State Senate voted to pass automatic voter registration by a largely bipartisan vote of 34-13. On Monday, the state House voted to pass a slightly different version of the bill by a 50-48 vote.

The state Senate also voted to abolish the death penalty on Wednesday. That bill will now go to the House for consideration.

Our 2018 Crab Feed in Lakewood is coming up! Purchase your tickets now to join us for a locally sourced seafood buffet and discussion with Democratic elected officials on Sunday, February 25th. And, yes, we have a vegetarian option as well!

Rise & Organize

If you’re not already a member of our monthly low-dollar donor program, you can join here.A few dollars a month will help us continue to hold Organizing Academies, train volunteers, and mobilize to defeat Republicans like Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dino Rossi. Plus you'll get some new Rise & Organize gear when you sign up!

Official Online Store

We’re constantly adding new merchandise to our online store. These items make great gifts, plus you’ll be supporting a great cause -- a stronger Democratic Party! Check it out!

ICYMI: Valentine's Day

Finally, we wanted to help Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dino Rossi celebrate their Valentine’s Days so we made them some special Valentines just for them. Check them out!

WA Democrats Latest Posts

Once again, WA State is leading the way! Governor Jay Inslee just signed into law automatic voter registration, Election Day registration, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, and the state Voting Rights Act. It's a good day for Democracy.